MarvinMouse's Journal: A short discussion on the war.

I read this earlier today, and thought that I would share it. I found it to be a very thoughtful discussion on the war.

---

The war has begun...God help us all...and protect the innocent. Fr. Tim Uniac ... came back from Florida (Last Sunday) after visiting Fr. Norm Choate and his parents who winter in Florida. He told us that when he was at Sunday Mass, the priest prayed for peace. Suddenly, a man in the back stood up and very loudly said, "I will not pray for peace. We need to bomb those sons of ..." Then the man got out of hte pew and left Mass. Other friends and family I have spoken to in the States all express divided opinion and confusion over the war with Iraq. Many are heavily in favour of Bush policies and decision and are vilifying the nations who spoke against the US decision. They are, in Bush's words, the coalition of hte unwilling. But most of those I spoke with said that they could not make much sense out of the inexorable drive to go to war. They told me, that the issues are just not as clear as Bush makes them out to be.

I was listening to an interview on CBC on Monday which simply asked where the peace and protest music is during this time of conflict. During the Vietnam war, music played a big part in expressing the angst most felt over the tragedy of conflict, destruction, and death that they saw unfolding on TV. There were songs about Kent State, the university where four protesting students were killed by the US National Guard. Songs blared out words like, "war, good God y'all, what is it good for... absolutely nothing." The music and words gave form shape and vent to the souls of those who hungered for more, for better ways of relating, for peace. Now, it seems that the music is silent or absent from the airwaves because a few corporations control much of the media. There is no money in protest. On top of that, it seems that in this Iraqi crisi, any dissenting voice that holds an opinion different from the American presidency and White House is labeled as traitorous, unpatriotic, cowardly, weak, and the list goes on.

Dr. Micheal Higgens recently returned from ... Spain last week. He said that those he spoke with described a sense gloom and quiet despair hovering over Europe, not to mention a growing anti-American and anti-Jewish sentiment (because of the Palestinian/Isreali conflict). The fall out from this war, most expressed, will last for a long time. Not only has diplomacy failed but the UN has been dealt a serious blow to its position as a world moderator and forum for international dialogue, aid and diplomacy. These are hard times. ...

In the days ahead, as we watch war unfold like a video game from the comfort of our own homes... Let us believe in the possibility of peace, in the dream of a reconciled world where even enemies can sit down together at table and those estranged can reach out in friendship. But we must begin with ourselves by disarming our own hearts.

In the menatime, as we work toward peace, let us continue to pray for peace, and for all those who suffer because of war and conflict and greed. The war has begun, God help us find our way back to love.

(Posted with permission from Fr. Jim Link, UCC, Waterloo.)